Automobile parking device



y 1940- J. L. BARR AUTOMOBILE PARKING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 20, 1932 F/af.

y 2, 1940- I J. L. BARR 2,206,523

AUTOMOBILE PARKING DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 20, 1952 I I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 awe/whom July 2, 1940. J RR 2,206,623

AUTOMOBILE PARKING DEVICE Original Fil ed Aug. 20, I952 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 Patented July 2, 1940:

PATENT @FFME AUTOMOBILE PARKING DEVICE John L. Barr, Chevy Chase, Md.

Original application August 20, 1932, Serial No.

. 12 Claims.

lhis application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 629,691, filed August 20, 1932, now Patent #2,086,459, datedJulyB, 1937.

An object of this invention is to minimize the danger of injury both to the elevating device and to the roadbed through twisting strains which be imposed upon the device due to inequalities in the roadbed, cramp of the steering wheels and other like factors.

Another object or, my invention is to provide a simple construction that is easily and cheaply made and will always be available for instant operation when it is necessary to turn the car on a short radius.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device which will permit turning of the car on a short radius with a minimum of efiort, and yet which has no harmful effect on the normal steering of the vehicle when the device itself is not in operation.

With these and other objects in view which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements comprising my invention may be varied in con- .struction, proportions and arrangement, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. i

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical efi'ect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions which, for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, looking from the rear of the car towards the front, of the front steering wheels of the car with my elevating device attached in place.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the construction shown in Figure l, with omitted.

Figure 3 is .a View taken on the line: 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4.- is a view partly in cross section of the details of construction .of my elevating device, showing in dotted lines the device raised to the inoperative position.

Figure 51s a view taken on the line 5 of part of the details Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is .a View taken on the line fit of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure '7 is a cross sectional view of a modifi- Divided and this 1936, Serial No.v 74,171

application April 13,

cation of the joint between the elevating device and the car.

Figure 8 is a detail in cross section of a modilied form of ground engaging member for the elevating device.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of a modified form of ground engaging device for the elevating member.

Figure 10 is a side elevation partly in cross section of another modification of my device.

Figure 1.1 is a view taken on the line Il-l l of FigurelO, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 12 is a detail partly in cross section of a modification of a mounting for the type of device disclosed in Figure 10.

Figure 13 is a detail view of a modification showing the attachment of the elevating member to an automobile.

Figure 14 is a view taken along the line M.--M of Figure 13, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to the form of rny'device shown in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, I have shown a steering axle of an automobile, which is normally the front axle, designated by the numeral 8. front axle are steering wheels 2, shown in a cramped position in dotted lines in Figure 2. In order to steer the wheels, proper connections such as are usual in constructions of this character are made, which include a steering tie rod 3.

Fastened by suitable U-clamps 3 to the under side of the front axle is an elevating mechanism comprising a support plate 5, which acts as one- Mounted on this a swivel plate 5 having an arm I integrally formed therewith. The support plate 5 and the swivel plate 5, which is in sliding contact therewith, are mounted so that the plate is can swivel on the plate 5.

There is a stud 8, as plainly shown in Figure 4, whose upper end is provided with a head 9 which fits in the recess H of the support plate 5. The lower end of the stud 8 may be provided with a flanged portion it which is suitably attached by any known means to the stud 8, and which permits the swivel plate 6 to rotate on the support plate 5. The swivel plate 6 is provided with two downwardly extending trunnion blocks it which hold the ends of a stub axle l4.

Mounted to swing on the stub axle M is an elevating rod [5 which is screwed, at [6, into a bearing member I! which swivels on the stub axle I4. At the lower end of the elevating rod I5 I have provided a foot construction comprising a foot member it into which is screwed the rod iii. A look nut iii is then screwed into position to hold the rod if; in the foot member is at the desired position. This construction. permits the rod 25 to have any desired operative length to accommodate for various sizes of cars.

The foot member !8 is made with an annular recess 28 around which is bolted a collar M to which is attached, by suitable connections, a cable 22 so that upon pulling the cable the elevating rod l5 and the accompanying mechanism may be drawn up into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4.

The rod 15 may be, in operation, let down, and may swing on either side of the vertical. The driver, for instance in the position shown in Figure 3, drives the car forward to raise the front end sufiiciently to relieve the weight on the front wheels to permit them to be readily turned. If the elevating rod l5,,however, was on the other side of the vertical, he would back the car on to the rod so that the wheels could be readily turned. This general form of operation is shown in my Patents Nos. 1,967,219, 1,954,308, Re. 19,247, 1,963,879, and 1,969,198. It gives a flexibility of operation not inherent in the other devices.

There is no danger of injuring the elevating rod because there is no stop against which the momentum of the car can deal a damaging impact.

The device is merely allowed to fall into engagement with the roadbed, and if the driver fails to mount upon the device at the exact position he wants, and should drive over it, for instance by backing the car, he can come'forward a few inches and mount it again. It will be understood that the control is applied through the power of the car and through the control of the foot brakes. It is an easy operation to drive up on the device and hold the car by means of the brakes in the desired position while the front wheels are turned. All this has been explained in my applications which issued into the patents listed above.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the arm I is provided near its end with a support piece 23 carrying an upstanding eyelet member 24 to which are attached springs 25, the springs :25 at their other ends being attached to support pieces 25 mounted on the steering tie rod 3.

The arrangement is such that through the arm 7 and the spring connections with the tie rod, the elevatingrod i5 is swiveled on the swivel joint comprising the support plate 5 and swivel plate 6, so that when the rod l5 swings either forward or to the rear of the vertical on the stub axle is, the plane of swing of the member l5 will be substantially in line with a plane passing through the wheels. This is plainly shown in Figure 2, which shows the wheels cramped and the rod 1 in dotted lines having been carried to one side.

The plane of swing of the rod l5 will be substantially parallel to thecramped position of the wheels.

In order to permit the device to be held in its upper inoperative position, as shown in Figure 4, without danger of rattling or of injuring the de vice, or the car structure, I have shown. on the bottom of the arm I a holding clamp 21 on which is mounted a rubber bumper 28 against which the rod l5 rests when the cable 22 has hauled it into its uppermost position.

In order to hold the mechanism in its inoperative position from swinging each time the steering wheels are moved, I have shown the support plate 5 provided with a recess 29 having a suitable cap 3! screwed therein. In the recess is mounted a spring 32 carrying a spring pressed plate 33. There is provided in the swivel plate 6 a recess 34 in which is mounted a plunger 35 having a head 36 which, in the position of the parts shown in Figure 6, passes through the apertures in the swivel plate 6 and support plate 5, locking the two so thatthe swivel plate 6 cannot rotate or swivel on the support plate 5. Urging the plunger 35 into its upper position is a spring 31 mounted in a support piece 38. The plunger 35 is provided at its lower end with a head 39 against which the spring 31 bears.

In the position shown in Figure 6, the head 35 of the plunger 35 locks the swivel plate 6 from rotation, and the plunger 35 is held in spring pressed relation between the tension springs 32 and iii. Upon lowering the elevating rod [5 by releasing the cable 22, a contact lug M, which has been bearing against the head 39, falls with the rod and no longer pushes against the head 39. The head 39 then falls and the spring 32 pushes the head 35 of the plunger 35 .to the lower position, so that the head 36 no longer locks the swivel plate 6 from rotation.

Now, let us assume that the rod i5 has again been raised into the position shown in Figure 6, but that the cramp of the wheels prevents the head 36 from entering in the aperture in the plate 5. In such a case no harm is done, because the spring 31 is merely compressed and the head 36 will enter the aperture in the plate 5 when the rod i is in a position such as is shown in Figure 2 in the full line position.

This construction permits the device to be held in position to prevent its constant swivelling when not in use, and yet it is free to swivel immediately upon .lowering the elevating rod 15.

By reason of the fact that the connection between H the rod l and the tie rod 3 is through springs 25, the normal steering of the vehicle when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 6 can proceed without undue interference. The spring connection between the rod I and the rod 3 is also of advantage in view of changes in the an gular position of the rod 3 during cramping of the wheels-for instance, such an advantage as is depicted in dotted lines in Figure 2.

In Figure '7 I have shown a modification in which the bearing member I! is shown mounted in the'shaft it through a rubber or elastic bushing member 32, comprising a rubber ring 43 and bushings M and d5. This construction permits rocking of the elevating rod IE on the shaft M to take care of some of the strains imposed while moving the car either into forward or back position while the wheels are cramped. Means, of course, have been shown in the other forms of device for swivelling the rod l5 so that its plane of rotation on the stub axle it coincides substantially with the cramp of the steering wheels.

Since there is a slight arcuate motion to the front of the ,car when the device is used while the steering wheels are cramped, under some conditions of operation I prefer to permit a slight rocking of the elevating rod 15 on the stub axle it, and. the form shown in Figure '7 will take care of this limited motion just described. The above described construction will compensate for twisting and shearing forces imparted to the elevating rod 15 by movement of the car. Under certain conditions of operation, it is not necessary to employ the form of device shown in Figure 7, butit has certain inherent advantages.

In Figure 8 I have shown a modification of the foot member 18 wherein the ground engaging base plate It held on the front axle by suitable straps H. The base plate it is provided with downwardly projecting split trunnion blocks l8 which are held together by screws 75, and in The trunnions to be screw threaded into the elevating leg at the top. The rod 85 is inserted in the aperture of the socket member and the cap 83 screwed thereon to hold the ball in place, thus giving a firm ball and socket arrangement. There is a conical aperture 85 in the bottom of the socket member 83 permitting limited universal movement between the ball and socket, allowing the leg it to swing with a universal action. The ground engaging construction is similar to that shown in Figure 1.

Surrounding the socket member 82 is a guiding spring 8l,'the other end of which surrounds and engages the elevating leg it. tends at all times to retain the elevating leg in its vertical position while the parts are in the position shown in Figure 10, and will tend to keep the leg l5, when the socket 82 is moved, in the same relation to the socket as is depicted in the views, Figures ,10 and 11.

In the position shown in Figure 10, a spring member 88 bears against the flattened upper surface of the cap 83. The spring member 38 is attached at 89 to the base 16. By reasonof the fact that this spring member 88 exerts a downward force and tends to lie flat against the flattened upper surface of the cap 83, the socket member 82 is urged to maintain the position.

shown in Figure 10. In this position the spring 81 tends to hold the elevating leg l5 in the perpendicular position. By pulling on cable 22 the elevating leg can be raised from the operative frictional engagement of the steering wheels with the ground will prevent collapse of the elevating leg in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the car, which would normally occur were all of the weight taken off the front wheels.

In Figure 12 is shown a form of the device in which the socket member 82 is provided with a deep recess 91! in which is mounted an elastic member, such as rubber, 512, which surrounds the rod 85 and tends to hold it in the vertical position, thus holding the elevating leg !5 in that position. The structure in this case is somewhat different from that shown in. Figures and 11. There is no removable cap in the form shown in Figure 12, but there is an annular holding ring This spring 93 which holds the plate 84 in its position in the socket member 82.

r In Figures 13 and 14, instead of using a ball and socket arrangement I have shown the trunnionyblock 73 supporting a trunnion 9 3 of somewhat greater length than the trunnion iii of the form shown in Figures 10 and 11. Mounted spider 95, having a flattened top 56 and a fiattened bottom 9i. Two springs 98 and 99 bear against the flattened top 96 and tend to hold the member 95 in the position shown in Figures and 23.

The member 95 is provided with stub shafts it on which is journaled a yoke piece I 92, which may be integrally formed with the elevating leg it. Springs iilii press against either side of flattened surfaces tilt of the yoke piece H32, and

tend to hold the elevating leg it in the position shown in Figure 22.

The operation. of this construction is similar to that described in connection with Figures 10 and 11, as well as Figure 12. The springs 98 and 99 and the springs I03 tend to hold the elevating leg E5 in the position shown in the drawing-s. By reason of the frictional engagement of the front wheels, when cramped, with the road, even in. their so-called elevated position, collapse of the elevating leg 15 in a direction transverse to [the longitudinal axis of the car will not noron thetrunnion 94 is an elongated cylindrical mally occur, and the device may be used to ele vate the wheels by driving either to the front or to the back, depending upon the position of the ground, engaging portion of-the elevating leg.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1; A device to relieve at least part of the weight on the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising a single leg upon which the vehicle is adapted to be driven, a pivot upon which the leg is pivoted to the vehicle, and means cooperating with the pivot for the single leg to compensate for twisting and shearing forces.

2. A device to relieve at least part of the weight on the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising a single leg pivoted to the vehicle upon which the vehicle is adapted to bedriven by either forward or backward movement of the vehicle. a pivot for the single leg, and means cooperating with the pivot for the single leg to compensate for shearing and twisting forces.

3. A device to relieve at least part of the weight on the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising a single leg upon which the vehicle is adapted to be driven,-pivot means upon which the leg is pivoted to the vehicle, means to compensate for twisting forces, and means to center the leg.

4. A device to relieve at least part of the weight on the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising a single leg upon which the vehicle is adapted to be driven, pivot means upon which the leg is pivoted to the vehicle, means to compensate for twisting forces, and spring means tending to center the leg laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

5. A device to relieve at least part of the weight on the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising a single leg pivoted to the vehicle upon-which the vehicle is adapted to be driven, means to compensate for shearing forces and spring means tending to center the leg laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

6. A device to relieve at least part of the weight on the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising a single leg pivoted to the vehicle upon which the vehicle is adapted to be driven by either forward or backward movement of the vehicle, means to compensate for both shearing and twisting forces, and spring means tending to center the leg laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

7. A device to relieve at least part of the weight on the steering wheels of a vehicle comprising elevating means adapted to swing on both sides of the vertical to raise the vehicle by forward or backward movement of the vehicle, depending on which side of the vertical the elevating means is in engagement with the roadbed, a joint on which the elevating means swings, a swivel joint between the first named joint and the Vehicle, and a rubber bushing in said first named joint to permit the elevating means to rock thereon.

8. A device for relieving the weight on the tires of a vehicle to allow free turning of the steering wheels in parking, comprising a single support leg, universally mounted on the front axle of the vehicle, adjustable in length, for elevation of the axle to relieve the weight on one or both steering wheels, said universal pivot being to permit movements of the leg to compensate for forces set up in using the device when the steering wheels are cramped.

9. A device of the character described comprising a vehicle, steering wheels therefor, a compression element universally pivoted on the vehicle and free to take positions imparted to it when the vehicle is driven onto the element while the steering wheels are cramped, and spring means tending to center the compression element.

10. A device of the character described comprising a vehicle, a compression element, a universal pivot for the element on the vehicle permitting the element to absorb motions imparted by twisting strains, and a resilient centering means for the compression element.

11. A device of the character described comprising a vehicle, a compression element, a univating means, a swivel joint between the pivot and the vehicle, and a rubber bushing in said pivot to permit the elevating means to rock thereon.

JOHN L. BARR. 

